Fee types and calculation

Fees are set by the University Council and are based on recommendations from each individual faculty.

The New Zealand Government subsidises the fees of domestic students, so they generally pay a lower rate than international students.

A domestic student is someone who is either:

• A New Zealand citizen or
• A New Zealand permanent resident, or
• Australian permanent resident, or
• An Australian citizen resident in New Zealand

For more information about fees per faculty for domestic and international students, please see Fees by faculty.

There are two main categories of fees that you may see on your invoice. Each category has different charge types.

Course Fees

Course fees relate to the actual courses you are taking.

• Tuition fee: This is the fee of each course that you take.
• Field trip fee: In some courses, you must participate in a field trip.

Term fees

Term fees relate to the number of points you are enrolled in each semester. 

• Student services fee: This is a fee charged for the provision or subsidy of various services to which you have access. For more information, please see Compulsory student services fee

This fee subsidies or allows you to access to the following services:

• Health and counselling services
• Careers advisory service
• Disability services
• Student emergency fund
• Financial advisory service
• International student advisory service
• Chaplaincy services
• Early childhood education services
• Campus recreation overheads

For more information, please see Compulsory student services fee.

Each of the main fees that we administer is charged on a per-point basis. The more points you do, the more you can expect to pay.

How course fees are calculated

Course fees are based on a number of factors, including:

• The faculty that teaches the course (for example, an Arts course will be charged differently to an Engineering course).
• Whether the course is being studied at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
• The content of the course (lecture-based courses are often cheaper than studio-based courses).

In some cases, the base fee may be set according to the particular degree or programme. This is usually only in cases where the courses to be taken are prescribed or fixed.

How term fees are calculated

Term fees are charged according to the number of points you are taking within each term.

For example, if you take three courses (totalling 45 points) in one semester, your term fees will be based on the 45 points (not on the faculty the courses relate to).

Other administrative fees

In addition to your tuition fees, you may be charged for certain services.

For detailed information about course, term and administrative fees, see the University Calendar.

If you study with us through Study Abroad, you pay a single flat fee, which covers:

• Tuition fees for a full time course of study.
• Student services fee.

For more information, please see the Study Abroad Costs and fees page.